Mark Shuttleworth Closes Ubuntu Bug#1

Mark Shuttleworth has closed a long-standing Bug#1 on Launchpad. Launchpad is a project-hosting repository based on Bazaar VCS, and is used by Ubuntu developers to manage their codes and bugs. The Launchpad bug tracking system saw its first bug in August 2008, and it was more of a visionary target than a bug. It reads: “Microsoft has a majority market share”.

The bug attracted many people towards Ubuntu, fueled discussions and played a key role in bringing together a group of people with a shared vision for the Ubuntu operating system. Today, Ubuntu is the most popular Linux distro and has a thriving developer community. The premises under which this bug was filed have changed, and it was time for the bug to be removed from Launchpad. Shuttleworth also writes a comment on the bug, saying,

Android may not be my or your first choice of Linux, but it is without doubt an open source platform that offers both practical and economic benefits to users and industry. So we have both competition, and good representation for open source, in personal computing.

Today, personal computing has moved beyond PCs, and it includes a plethora of other devices that keep us connected to the Internet 24X7. Lots of responsibilities of the PC have been offloaded to these devices and while Microsoft still has a monopoly on the PC market, in the overall computing sphere, Linux based platforms have emerged as strong contenders leaving Microsoft far behind in the race.

The closing of the bug also helps the Ubuntu ecosystem think in retrospect, where they are headed and how they have evolved from those early days. This bug will be remembered for its significance.